Conveyer counter



Feb. 23, 1 954 E, E. FLESNER ET AL 2,670,135

CONVEYER COUNTER Filed April 20, 1951' I FIHVE'J'I T0215 10 16 E aye/26E 1 76257267 cfa/ziz Lyric/ Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE assignors to Jewel Tea Company, Inc.,

Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of New York Application April 20, 1951, Serial No. 221,994

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a conveyor counter and more particularly to a counter assembly readily attached to conveyors of conventional construction to automatically register the number of shipping cartons conveyed.

To check the material or goods in a truckload or a railroad car-load, the usual procedure is for'the persons unloading or loading the truck or car to observe and count the number or shipping containers or cartons as they are unloaded or loaded and check the total number against the invoice. Since the total number of shipping containers or cartons in a truck load or car load may run into the hundreds, it readily apparent that errors are likely to occur with this procedure. Such errors, of course, will result in a considerable waste of time since a recount is necessary when an error occurs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a counting assembly for ready attachment to conveyors of various types to automatically register the number of shipping cartons conveyed so that counting by observation or physical checking will not be necessary and so that errors and waste of time will be obviated.

According to this invention, a counting assembly is mountedon a conveyor of a conventional type having a plurality of parallel axles in an inclined plane, each axle having a plurality of 'carton supporting and guiding rollers rotatably disposed thereon. The counting assembly includes a pair of support plates adapted to extend over two adjacent axles, a connector plate extending between the support plates and aihxecl thereto, a register supported on the connector plate and having an actuating crank arm, and a lever pivotally secured to the rear end portion of one of the support plates and extending over the crank arm in a manner such that cartons movingon the rollers will engage and push the lever downwardly which, in turn, will move the crank arm downwardly to actuate the register. The support plates are so formed that longitudinal movement on the conveyor is prevented but can be readily removed from the conveyor and installed on another conveyor of similar construction.

The construction also features a curved lever arm so related to the crank arm that a minimum force is required to actuate the register so that the movement of the shipping containers will not beimpeded, the curved lever arm also allowing actuation of the register by cartons moving in either direction on the conveyor.

Another object of this invention, accordingly, is to provide a counter assembly adapted for different conveyor line constructions.

A further'object of thisinvention is to provide a counter assembly so constructed as to be readily lifted off a conveyor and, at the same time to stay in place regardless of vibration of the conveyor.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a counter assembly'which is simple, compact and easily and economically manuiacturable.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully app-arent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and. in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a conveyor with the counting assembly of the present invention mounted thereon, the conveyor being illustrated in operative position for conveying shipping containers from a truck to a loading platform;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the conveyor of Figure 1 with the counting assembly applied thereto; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line III-III of Figure 2, so that it is a side view of the counter assembly.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a conveyor generally designated by reference numoral l0 disposed in an inclined position between the rear end of a truck II and a loading platform [2. Boxes, cartons or shipping containers placed on the truck end of the conveyor will move down the conveyor to the loading platform l2 by the action of gravity thereon. [2. shipping carton i3 is illustrated in an intermediate position on the conveyor. A counter assembly generally designated by reference numeral I4 is mounted on the conveyor to register the number of boxes passing thereover.

Figures 2 and 3 Liustrate the construction of the conveyor and the counting assembly in detail. Referring thereto, the conveyor includes a pair of side frame members it and ll having a plurality of axles or rods secured therebetween. Figure 2 illustrates four of the axles which are designated by the reference numerals l8, I9, 28 and 2! Rotatably disposed on each of the axles are a plurality of rollers 22 adapted to support and guide boxes moving on the conveyor. The provision of the rollers, or course, reduces frictional retardation oi the containers moving down the conveyor.

The counter assembly includes a pair of support plates 24 adapted to extend over adjacent axles of the conveyor it, such as axles l9 and 2! as illustrated. A connector plate 2% extends between thesupport plate 24 and is afilxed to an intermediate portion 24a of each of the support plates preferably by welding. Each of the support plates 24 is formed to extend, from the forward end of the intermediate portion 25a, successively upwardly adjacent the rear side of the axle 25, forwardly over the axle and downwardly adjacent the front side of the axle 2B, and, from the rear end of the intermediate portion 240., successively upwardly, rearwardly over the axle l9 and downwardly adjacent the rear side of the axle 59, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

It will be noted that longitudinal movement of the counter assembly on the conveyor is thus prevented and that the assembly can be readily lifted from the conveyor when desired. It will also be apparent that the axles l9 and 2t illus trated could be considerably closer together without affecting the mounting of the counter assembly thereon since the engagement of the portion of the support plate 24 with the axle 29 is suiiicient to prevent longitudinal movement on the conveyor. Thus the assembly can b mounted on conveyors having various axle spacings.

A register or standard counting mechanism 26 is secured to the connector plate 25 by screws 21. This register 26 is of the conventional type and has an actuating shaft 28 to which an arm 29 is secured. The shaft 28 is spring biased by means in the register (not shown) to a position in which the arm 28 extends upwardly and forwardly as illustrated full lines in Figure 3. Movement of the arm 29 against the spring bias from the full line position to the dotted line position will actuate the register so that it will indicate a number I one digit higher. eating means in the top side thereof which shows the total number of times the arm 29 has been actuated and is preferably provided with means for resetting the indicating means to zero.

To actuate the arm 29, a lever St is pivoted to the rear end portion of one of the support plates 24 and extends forwardly over the arm 29. Movement of the lever iiii downwardly about its pivotal axis from the full line position to the dotted line position, Figure 3, will cam the arm 29 downwardly about its pivotal axis to actuate the register 26. To reduce friction between the arm 29 and th lever 3d the arm 29 preferably has a roller 3i rotatably disposed on the outer end thereof and engaging the lower surface of lever 3i]. The pivotal connection between the lever 36 and the support plate 2d preferably is provided by a simple hook-and-eye arrangement including a bracket 32 affixed to the plate 2:3, as by welding, the bracket having a slot through which a hooked terminal end portion 30a of the lever as extends.

t will be apparent that movement of a carton l3 downwardly on the conveyor (to the right as illustrated in Figure 3) will cam the lever 30 downward about its pivotal connection to the support plate 2 2- and the lever 36 will, in turn, cam the arm 29 downwardly to actuate the register 26.

The lever 38 is preferably formed in a smooth curve with its outer end extending downwardly below the level of the top sides of the rollers, as illustrated in F gure 3. With this provision, the lever may be moved downwardly, and the register actuated, by cartons moving on the conveyor in either direction. The curvature of the lever also reduces the maximum instantaneous force required for actuation and hence reduces resistance to movement of containers on the conveyor. Although the assembly is preferably disposed so as The register has visible indi- 4 to be actuated with cartons moving in the direction illustrated, it will be apparent that an inadvertent placing of the assembly in a reverse position will not make it inoperable.

There is thus provided a conveyor counter which eliminates the necessity of mental counting to check invoices, is easily and economically manufacturable, is readily moved from on conveyor to another, may be operated in reverse positions, is reliable in operation and will stay in place regardless of vibrations of the conveyor.

It will be apparent that modifications and variations may be efiected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A counter for a conveyor having a plurality of parallel axles in an inclined plane, each axle having a plurality of shipping carton supporting and guide rollers rotatably disposed thereon; comprising; a pair of support plates adapted to extend over a first axle of the conveyor and over a second axle rearwardly spaced from the first axle; a connector plate extending between the support plates and amxed at each end to an intermediate portion of one of the support plates; each support plate being constructed and arranged to extend, from the forward end of the intermediate portion thereof successively upwardly adjacent the rear side of the first axle, forwardly over the top side of the first axle and downwardly adjacent the front side of the first axle and to extend, from the rear end of the in termediate portion, successively upwardly, rearwardly over the second axle and downwardly adjacent the rear side of the second axle; a register ai'fixed to the connector plate and having an actuating arm pivoted on an axis generally parallel to the axles; the actuating arm being resiliently urged to an upwardly inclined position and being movable downwardly to actuate the register; and a lever pivoted to a rear portion of one of the bracket plates and extending over the register actuating arm in camming engagement therewith so that a carton moving forwardly on the conveyor will cam the lever downwardly to cam the arm downwardly to actuate the register.

2. In a conveyor having a plurality of parallel axles disposed in an inclined plane and a plurality of carton supporting and guiding rollers mounted on each axle, a carton counter mounted on a pair of adjacent axles and including a register having an actuating arm extending above a plane tangential to the upper portions of the rollers, and a lever pivoted from a rear portion of the counter and extending over the register actuating arm, cartons moving down the conveyor thereby camming the lever downwardly to operate the register actuating arm.

3. In a conveyor having a plurality of parallel axles disposed in an inclined plane and a plurality of carton supporting and guiding rollers mounted on each axle, a carton counter mounted on a pair. of adjacent axles and including a register having an actuating arm extending above a plane tangential to the upper portions of the rollers, and a lever pivoted from a rear portion of the counter and extending over the register actuating arm, cartons moving down the conveyor thereby camming the lever downwardly to operate the register actuating arm, the outer end portion of the lever being curved downwardly and extending below said plane so that the lever and the regisr' ter may be actuated by cartons moving in either direction on the conveyor.

4. In a conveyor having a frame, a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel axles carried by the frame and a plurality of laterally spaced rollers mounted on each axle, a counter for articles conveyed by said conveyor comprising a pair of spaced support members arranged to straddle at least one roller on each of two adjacent axles on said conveyor and to extend over said adjacent axles, said support; members having end portions shaped to receive said axles for retaining the counter in position on the axles, means securing said support members in spaced relation, a register mounted on said means, and a register actuator rockably supported on said counter and resiliently urged to a position with a part thereof in the path of articles moving on said conveyor to be actuated by said articles as they pass through on said rollers.

5. In a counter for a conveyor including a pair of longitudinal frame members, a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel axles carried between the frame members and a plurality of laterally spaced rollers on each axle, a support member arranged to extend longitudinally over a pair of adjacent axles intermediate the frame members and having end portions shaped to receive the adjacent axles for retaining the counter in position thereon, a register supported by said support member intermediate said end portions thereof so as to be disposed between the pair of adjacent axles, and a register actuator resiliently urged to a position with a part thereof in the path of articles moving on the conveyor to be actuated by such articles as they pass through on the rollers.

EUGENE E. FLESNER. JOHN LYNCH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 154,358 Webb Aug. 25, 1874 402,820 Gottsfried May 7, 1889 1,227,485 Myers May 22, 1917 1,847,719 Hirsche1 Mar. 1, 1932 2,337,813 Grossenbacher Dec. 28, 1943 2,468,334 Kennedy Apr. 26, 1949 2,486,118 Clark Oct. 25, 1949 2,503,670 Hilberry Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 267,798 Germany Dec. 2, 1913 581,576 France Dec. 2, 1924 472,607 Germany Feb. 14, 1929 569,210 Great Britain May 11, 1945 

